Sweep could hurt Falcons

Fitchburg's playoff chances damaged after a double dip

FITCHBURG -- Only the top six of eight teams in the MASCAC get into the conference tournament -- and Sunday's doubleheader could come back to haunt the Falcons as tournament time rolls around.

Fitchburg State came back twice in game one, eventually falling 7-6 in eight innings of play. In game two the Falcons only managed five base runners, in a no-hit shutout 7-0 loss at Riccards Field.

The Falcons fall to 10-13-1 (1-5 MASCAC), while Mass. Maritime (7-11, 3-3 MASCAC) boosts its tournament resume with a .500 record in the conference.

Fitchburg State returns to action Monday as it hosts Framingham State University (9-16, 3-3 MASCAC) in another important doubleheader.

"We definitely wish we could have taken two today," Fitchburg State University head coach Keith Brouillard said. "It just puts pressure on us tomorrow. We've got Framingham State coming in, and hopefully we can grab two there and get us back in the mix of things. We have plenty of conference games left, with eight remaining, so nothing is done yet."

Cody Bamforth's (3 for 4) RBI triple to centerfield and David Mason's RBI ground out tied game one at 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning.

A Mason RBI double and Matt Zajac RBI single later retied the game at 5-5 in the fifth. FSU's killer instint paid off, as the Falcons took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth on a Bamforth RBI single.

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Despite the Falcons persistence in getting back in the game, the Buccaneers just had all the answers. Maritime rallied with a Zach Sullivan RBI single in the top of the seventh which forced extra innings, before scoring the game winning run in the eighth on a Bobby Rosano RBI single to centerfield.

"We were battling back all day in game one," Brouillard said. "I give credit to Mass Maritime, they played every inning 100 percent and did not let down. We took a couple innings off and it came back to bite us. We battled back, and Cody Bamforth had an awesome day."

Mass Maritime pitcher T. J. Notarangelo had a dominant performance in game two. Notarangelo pitched a complete game no-hit shutout while walking four, and striking out two batters.

"(Notarangelo) had an effective slider," Brouillard said. "He spotted up his fast ball and didn't walk many guys. He got ahead early in the count, and was able to use his go-to pitcher, his slider, to keep us off-balance."

Notarangelo was in complete control for the majority of the game, as FSU was only able to get two runners in scoring position. Back-to-back walks with two outs, gave the Falcons some hope in the third, but Notarangelo induced a fly ball to right field to get out of the jam.

Fatigue did not seem to be a big issue for Maritime's hurler, as after two Falcon runners got on with walks again in the seventh, Notarangelo kept his composure by forcing an infield fly out.

"Last year Notarangelo struggled for us as a freshman," Mass. Maritime head coach Bob Corradi said. "He worked so hard in the off-season, and has become a dominant pitcher. You could see it today. His off-speed pitch kept Fitchburg off balance, and they have some really good hitters, so this was a special performance."

Mass Maritime went to work early and often in game two. After stranding the bases loaded in the first inning, a Rosano double got the Buccaneers on the board. Michael Lenane grounded out on a sacrifice next, to up the score to 2-0 after two.

Jake Petruzzelli made it a three-run advantage in the third inning, when he connected on a two-out single, but Fitchburg State tagged him attempting to advance to second after the run scored to end the inning.

Mass. Maritime put the game out of reach in the fourth inning, when Tyler Genereux connected on a chopper to centerfield, plating two more. Sullivan later reached on an infield error which made it a six run edge after four.

The Buccaneers capped off the scoring with some two out magic in the fifth inning, culminating with an RBI single from Lenane which made it 7-0.

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